Live blog: UN 'determined' to continue life-saving aid delivery in Gaza

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

1707 GMT — The UN has highlighted the extreme risks faced by UN staff and humanitarian workers in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave, pledging commitment to continuing its life-saving work.

"The United Nations is determined to stay in Gaza to deliver life-saving aid for and with Palestinian civilians," Gilles Michaud, the UN Under-Secretary-General for safety and security, said in a statement.


Emphasising the grave risks that UN staff and aid workers are currently enduring in Gaza, Michaud said: "Humanitarians have been in the crosshairs throughout this crisis, which is by far the deadliest on record for the UN."

"Like most Palestinians in Gaza, we are running out of safe spaces for our own staff," he added.

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1854 GMT — US would defend Israel against Iranian attack: White House

The United States remains committed to defending Israel in any Iranian attack, and was hopeful about a possible Gaza ceasefire agreement, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said.

Kirby told Israel's Channel 12 that it was tough to predict the chances of an attack but the White House takes Iranian statements seriously.

"We believe that they are still postured and poised to launch an attack should they want to do that, which is why we have that enhanced force posture in the region," he said.

"Our messaging to Iran is consistent, has been and will stay consistent. One, don't do it. There's no reason to escalate this. There's no reason to potentially start some sort of all-out regional war. And number two, we are going to be prepared to defend Israel if it comes to that."

1836 GMT — Türkiye warns of Israeli minister's 'extremely dangerous' attempt to alter Jerusalem's status

Recent remarks by Israel's national security minister for a synagogue to be built in the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque represent a "new and extremely dangerous" attempt to alter the status and identity of Jerusalem and its holy sites, Türkiye said.

"The statements made by the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, regarding the construction of a synagogue in the Al-Aqsa Mosque are a new and extremely dangerous example of Israel's efforts to change the status and identity of Jerusalem and the holy sites in Jerusalem," the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Highlighting that Ben-Gvir's remarks sparked outrage in the Islamic world and alarmed all people "with common sense," the statement said that provocations "against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a holy place belonging exclusively to Muslims, offend the feelings of Muslims and cause tensions all over the world."

1748 GMT — Brigade commander urged soldiers to commit genocide in Lebanon: Israeli officer

A mental health officer in the Israeli army has revealed that a new commander in one of the country's military brigades encouraged his soldiers to commit "genocide" in Lebanon, according to the country's state-run broadcaster.

In an X post late on Monday that was later removed, Adi Engert, the Alexandroni Brigade's mental health officer, sparked uproar by claiming that the brigade's new commander Col. Moshe Pesel "wishes for the fighters to commit genocide," reported the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

"The villages of Lebanon will become desolate, and its roads impassable," said a quote from a file that Col. Pesel sent to soldiers. Engert attached the comment to her post, images of which continued to circulate in Israeli media even after its removal.

1618 GMT — Ongoing Gaza truce talks shifting to Doha: US official

Ongoing talks aimed at bringing about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza are shifting to the Qatari capital of Doha after several days of intense negotiations in Cairo, according to a US official.

A round of high-level talks in Cairo meant to bring about a ceasefire and hostage deal to at least create a temporary pause in the war ended on Sunday without a final agreement. Those talks included CIA director William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

A Hamas delegation was briefed by Egyptian and Qatari mediators but have not directly taken part in negotiations.

1445 GMT — Rocket launched near peacekeeper post in Lebanon: UN

One of the rockets launched from Lebanon in the heavy exchange between Hezbollah and the Israeli military on Sunday was fired from near a position operated by international peacekeepers, the United Nations force told Reuters on Tuesday.

The UN peacekeeping force for Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said it had detected a "high number of air strikes and rocket launches in its area of operations" starting on Sunday morning.

"One such launch was detected from near one of our positions in Hanniyeh," UNIFIL spokesperson Kand ice Ardiel said, referring to a town in southern Lebanon approximately 10 km (6 miles) north of the border with Israel.

1244 GMT — Israeli military rescues a captive in Gaza

The Israeli military said that it had rescued a man who was taken prisoner in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which was followed by the ongoing war in Gaza.

The military said Qaid Farhan Alkadi was rescued "in a complex operation in southern Gaza." It did not provide further details.

1236 GMT — Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 18, including 8 children: official

Palestinian officials said Israeli air strikes across Gaza have killed at least 18 people, including eight children.

The Civil Defense, first responders in Gaza, said that three children and their mother were killed in an air strike late on Monday in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza. It said that three other people were missing after the strike.

Another strike hit a building in downtown Gaza City, killing a child, three women and a man, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave.

In southern Gaza, a strike on a home early morning killed five people, including a man, his three children as young as three years old and a woman, according to a casualty list provided by the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where the bodies were taken.

Another air strike early flattened a home west of Khan Younis, killing at least four people, including a child, according to the hospital.

1202 GMT — Israel demolishes new Palestinian home in occupied East Jerusalem

Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in the town of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, according to witnesses.

Israeli authorities cited a lack of a building permit for the demolition in the Bustan neighbourhood, the witnesses said.

Dozens of Palestinian homes are demolished every year by the Israeli authorities in occupied East Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank, especially in areas classified by Israel as Area C.

1130 GMT — EU foreign policy chief warns of swift spread of polio in Gaza

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has warned of the rapid spread of poliovirus in Gaza, stressing the need for a ceasefire to allow children to be vaccinated against the disease, which causes certain limbs to be immobile for the rest of their lives.

"The quick spread of polio threatens all children in Gaza, already weakened by displacement, deprivation & malnourishment," he stated on X.

Urging an immediate three-day ceasefire, independent of wider negotiations, to enable WHO and UNICEF to conduct vaccinations, Borrell said, "Our humanity demands it."

1119 GMT — Pan-Islamic grouping condemns Israeli minister's demand

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly denounced a call by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to build a synagogue at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

This call "is a continuation of the repeated violations by Israel, the occupying power, of the sanctity of holy sites and freedom of worship, and a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and international law," the Jeddah-based organisation said in a statement.

The OIC said Jerusalem "is an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 and the capital of the State of Palestine."

0821 GMT — Death toll in Gaza rises to 40,476 as Israeli attacks continue

At least 40,476 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war on besieged Gaza, now in its 11th month, the enclave's Health Ministry says.

The toll includes 41 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to ministry figures, which also list 93,647 people as wounded in the Gaza since October 7.

0235 GMT — Heads of Jerusalem churches express grave concern over Israel's war on Gaza

The heads of churches in Jerusalem expressed deep concern over Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, calling on the parties to quickly reach an agreement for a ceasefire.

In a statement, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem said that despite repeated calls for a ceasefire and de-escalation, "the situation in our beloved Holy Land (Palestine) has only continued to deteriorate".

"Millions of refugees remain displaced, their homes inaccessible, destroyed, or beyond repair. Hundreds of innocents are weekly killed or severely wounded by indiscriminate attacks. Countless others continue to endure hunger, thirst and infectious disease," they said.

0152 GMT — Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 40 Palestinians

At least 40 Palestinians have been killed, including five children, and many others injured in a series of Israeli strikes across Gaza since Monday morning.

According to the daily statistical statement from Palestinian Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal, 36 Palestinians were initially reported killed in various air strikes.

Subsequently, a statement announced the deaths of four children in an attack on a family's home in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood, bringing the death toll to 40.

The ongoing Israeli onslaught has resulted in over 40,400 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,500 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

2155 GMT — Türkiye calls Israeli attack on TRT journalists 'attempt to conceal the truth'

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has said that an Israeli attack on journalists from Turkish public broadcaster TRT is an "an effort by bloodstained Israel to conceal the truth".

"We stand in solidarity with all journalists who are tirelessly working to expose Israel's oppression to the world," the ministry wrote in a statement on X.

"We extend our wishes for a swift recovery to the injured TRT personnel and express our support to the entire TRT family," it added.

A cameraman for TRT Arabi, the Arabic television channel of TRT, was wounded on Monday in Israeli shelling in southern Gaza.

Mohammad al-Zeineen sustained an eye wound from a piece of shrapnel after the Israeli army targeted a car beside a tent for journalists near Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis.

Israel has killed at least 171 journalists in besieged Gaza since October last year.

2128 GMT — Illegal settlers kill Palestinian in occupied West Bank

Illegal Israeli settlers have shot dead one Palestinian and wounded three others in occupied West Bank, Palestinian Health Ministry said — part of more than 1,270 Zionist terror attacks targeting Palestinians since October last year.

At least 680 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 6,000 others wounded by Israeli army and the illegal settlers in the occupied territory.

The United States and a number of European countries have imposed sanctions on violent illegal settlers and called repeatedly on Israel to do more to curb the attacks. But it has not deterred Israeli settlers or their protectors — the Israeli regime — from targeting Palestinians.

The current Israeli regime is dominated by settler bosses and their far-right allies, who have practically turned civilian Zionists into an armed militia in West Bank as well as in occupied East Jerusalem.

2108 GMT — Hamas slams Israel's killing of 5 Palestinians in West Bank

Hamas has said the Israeli assassination operation that targeted a house in Nur Sham camp in Tulkarem in occupied West Bank is a confirmation of the continuation of its crimes and massacres.

The resistance group said it mourns for the five Palestinians killed in the camp and vowed their blood won't go in vain. The group praised their martyrdom.

"Five citizens were killed, and others were injured" in Israeli bombardment, WAFA said earlier.

2020 GMT — Israeli army and Zionist settlers unleash terror upon Palestine

Israel has killed at least six Palestinians in besieged enclave's Gaza City after striking a residential apartment.

Israel targeted the Maghazi camp, killing three Palestinians, including a child, and wounding others, Palestinian official WAFA news agency said.

It also reported that civil defence teams recovered three bodies and several wounded after Israel struck a residential apartment belonging to the Na'san family on Yermouk Street in Gaza City.

For our live updates from Monday, August 26, 2024, click here.